The Brit Award for International Solo Artist is an award given by the

British Phonographic Industry BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) Limited, trading as British Phonographic Industry (BPI), is the British recorded music industry's trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards; is home to the Mercury Prize; co-owns the Official Charts C ...

(BPI), an organisation which represents record companies and artists in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. The accolade is presented at the Brit Awards, an annual celebration of

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

and international music. The winners and nominees are determined by the Brit Awards voting academy with over one-thousand members, which comprise

record label "Big Three" music labels A record label or record company is a brand or trademark of Sound recording and reproduction, music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a Music publisher, ...

publishers Publishing is the activities of making information, literature, music, software, and other content, physical or digital, available to the public for sale or free of charge. Traditionally, the term publishing refers to the creation and distribu ...

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, agents, media, and previous winners and nominees. First presented at the 3rd Brit Awards in 1983 to

Kid Creole and the Coconuts Kid Creole and the Coconuts is an American musical group created by August Darnell with Coati Mundi (musician), Andy Hernandez and Adriana Kaegi. Its music incorporates a variety of styles and influences, in particular a mix of disco and Latin ...

, the award has been presented with various names over its tenure. Including his win with The Revolution,

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

has the most wins in this category, with three while

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

has the most nominations without a win, with five. The award has been won eleven times by artists from the United States and once by an artist from Sweden. As of 2025, the current holder of the award is

Chappell Roan Kayleigh Rose Amstutz (born February 19, 1998), known professionally as Chappell Roan ( ), is an American singer and songwriter. She is known for her Camp (style), camp and drag queen–influenced aesthetic. Her debut EP, ''School Nights'' (201 ...

History

The award was first presented in 1983 as International Artist, where both groups and solo artists of any gender could be nominated. From 1986 to 1988, in 1990 and again in 1992 and 1993, it was presented as International Solo Artist (given to a male or female artist) while groups were honored with the newly created Brit Award for International Group from 1986 onward. The accolade was not handed out at the 1989 and 1991 ceremonies and has been defunct as of 1993. In 2021, it was announced that the category had been revived and returned to its original name Best International Artist of the Year following the removal of gendered categories, and combines the International Male Solo Artist and International Female Solo Artist categories. This new iteration of the award was first presented at the 42nd Brit Awards. The number of nominees in the category was increased from five to ten in

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Winners and nominees

International Artist (1983-1985)

International Solo Artist (1986-1988, 1990, 1992-1993)

International Artist (2022-present)

Multiple nominations and awards

*A ^ Including his win with The Revolution.

Notes

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...

(1989),

(1995–1996) also won

Brit Award for International Male Solo Artist The Brit Award for International Male Solo Artist is an award given by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), an organisation which represents record companies and artists in the United Kingdom. The accolade is presented at the Brit Awards, an ...

Billie Eilish Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell ( ; born December 18, 2001) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She first gained public attention in 2015 with her debut single "Ocean Eyes (song), Ocean Eyes", written and produced by her broth ...

(2020–2021) also won

Brit Award for International Female Solo Artist The Brit Award for International Female Solo Artist is an award given by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), an organisation which represents record companies and artists in the United Kingdom. The accolade is presented at the Brit Awards, ...

References

{{Brit International Artist Brit Awards Awards established in 1986 Awards established in 1990 Awards established in 1992 Awards established in 2022 Awards disestablished in 1988 Awards disestablished in 1990 Awards disestablished in 1993